BREAKING NEWS: Ehlers accepts Jefferson football job

CEDAR RAPIDS -- The challenge of rebuilding the Cedar Rapids Jefferson football program lies in the hands of Mark Ehlers.

The coach at Dubuque Hempstead for 12 seasons, Ehlers accepted the job from Jefferson principal Chuck McDonnell on Thursday.

Ehlers, AGE, posted a 71-46 mark at Hempstead, guiding the Mustangs to the playoffs five times.

Hempstead reached the second round three straight years (2008-10), with the 2009 and 2010 teams finishing 8-3.

Now he'll try to resurrect a Jefferson football program that has lost 22 straight games. Jim Womochil was 22-78 in 10 years at the westside school. He resigned in January.

"This is good news for Jefferson," said Duane Schulte, coach at Cedar Rapids Xavier. "He's a good football coach, he runs a solid program.

"He seems organized and seems to care a lot about kids. He's all the things you would look for in a coach."

He was an assistant at Linn-Mar before taking the Hempstead job.

The 2011 team was 3-6, winning three of its last four games -- including a 35-24 victory over Jefferson in the season finale.

Jefferson returns quarterback Layne Sullivan and second-leading tackler Drake Allen for the 2012 season.